Radiation protective jacket



June 16, 1953 M wElNBERG RADIATION PROTECTIVE JACKET Filed April 1e, 1951 FIG. 2

FIG. l

FIG

TG mw VB mm E W m V R A M ATTORNEY Patented June 16, 11953 "faire Dfi STA 'RADITION'PROTE Al'lplfication Api-i116; 195

V This invention; -relates to -radiation protective jackets-andl-'has 4f ortits 10b-ject -thelprovision-of-a 1i radiation protective jacket which` hasthe-eapa-vvl` cityof-'absorbing those rays-havinga -Wavelength--` absorbable by the I-huma-nbody--` but which is 5f? transparentto` those rayswhich arenot absorbed: bythehuman body-r- Y Another object is to provide a radiation =pro' teotivejaolretewhieheiseopaque toe-radiation having a -wave--=1ength absorbed-by thehuman body-il 10K: buttrans-parentai tot radiation@ passing ffreelly L through"thehumanebodyw i StillA another '-object Jis sto provider -a V:light- Y weighty radiation-iproteetive jacketJ which. is-l` opaque-to-radiation having-La 'waveLlength-norf-- 15 i maliy-ab`sorbed. by' the1 -humanfbody bu-t trans-M parentto-radiation having awavelength passing r without substantial absorption through l the humanfbodyi- 1 i OtherJ objectsY willA "befapparent `asotheinven-` -20 tion tis more fully hereinafter disc1osed.`fA In` accordance witlfl-wthese-obi-ects Il' -have Jde-wA vised n"the radiation fpro-tectivefJacket-.illustrated the-i accompanying drawing fwhichmis ychart-- aeter-izeell-.lbyf being-ecomprisedof f relatively-light-.e25 x weight mater-iat which is aopaque to.radiation= hav-inea Waveflengthnormally-absorbedswithwina1 jurious UresuIts#by-the-tissuesnot:.thahumanbody but substantially `.transparent.to:.radiatiorrhaving. a Jwave Alength which l -is ',f. not:- absorbed `.byxthea 30 1 human body. Y

Ittis uwellirecognizedabythose .skillede in-:thel art oft: radiatiomthatmo .materia1.isperfeetlyitranse 1. parent tot :rays of whatever `great:hardnessrandz:v no materialiis perfectly-.opaquetto rays .of what i 35 g; ever greatwave-length.` Likewise, anyanaterialai istfound: :more or.1ess opaquefto rays. ofeatcer.- tain *wave-length. but .is fmuch more transparent .1 todays of shorter-wave-lengths.orgreater hard-` ness... Hence thetterms:.opaque,. transparent '40 .i absorbabla` Aabsor.bed, and..1.passingnfreely` f through the human body, asherenaiterusedin.` the-specification and claims .are to. be understood asxrelat-vewterms, thensignicance .-of: whichrnis.;A chiefly l.. practical... differs" continuously Iroveroutherange .fronnsoftest .f tonhardest-raysn..` The practical. interpretation', of.; interest; here, i. is .concerned with. s injury '..atouthes/ human.:I tissues :which` might...lead .toaillness fori;

death.: The problem: otprotection'or.thehumanibodyf from the effects. of. .injuriousmadiationis greatlyz.l simplified. .by recognition of. the factithatfrecentia investigations have Ademonstrated .thattha mostro seriousiiniumand highest; mor.ta1ity ;due to'` :ex-g 55 Their.. preciser.y signicancea45 posuretoeX-lradiation r gamma radiation areprodueedby rays ypassing finto-w the `abdominal-- region andA especially radiation`V` aiecting-the`J spleen;w Generally speaking;u suchinvestigations4k haveealso show-n that-radiation having-a wave-#- length to-r: which the `Vbody tissue is opaque i or1-ab`- sorbent-produces-most of -thenjuryor damage -to` the tissue whereas radiation having a wavelengthfto Lwhichl the tissue-sistransparentproduces theminimum damagew In-v view `of these` =ndingsJ the problem of- :pro'n teotinathe abdominal:regionsiofflhumans against-= radiationfdamageby means of-:a protective jacket l resolves itselfA `in providing=a jaoket-=eomp1ised= of -f 1r1'at',1`=.iia1-Y whiohtiseopaque--rtof--radiationfhavingfa 1 Wave-length :that-isf absorbeczleby-` the abdominalL l regions ofI i the human:.bodyswhileLbeingrtrans-n .v parentto- -that #radiation which fi passes# freely-J through this region of the body. As the intensity i of suchradiation` and the--time intervalA ofV :exposurewtosuch `radiation `are'svariable'ffactors to@` take `finto-considerationin the =solutionof cthis.: problem; I `have- 1concluded;that absolutes pro-1 te'otion. againstLabsorbablel` radiation cannot al- Y ways-be provided .andzlthat-rthe main object of- I such.` a protective -j acket-is tosprovidaavsufoient amounts; oft: protection for.: f any..V contemplated.. maximum*- .intensity for..y as-reasonable tirnetinter-4 i val as.\will reduce .the eintensityfof :the .radiation s passing through- `the -jacketi torsa lowlevelf insul" cient to cause major .damagaorinjuryftothe.

tissuesa wit-hin. reasonab1e1-1imts Vofweightizof jacket.

\ With@ this-.consideration in mind I "have desa signed lthe jacket llustratedinthe drawngsp-theu. composition; andi.; construction .of which..wil1i..be moreyfully. ,hereinaftendisclosed Referring tothe drawings :1 Figi isa front Aview 4of thejjacket ofthepresent invention as itappears inpositonon the wearer; Fig-.f2 is .anenlarged viewiof Ythe-.Vloroken away .1 segment of thezjacket shownin Fig. `1;

Fig.; 3 isiazsectional .view takenialong` plane'.` 3-1-3 of Figi12 and Fig.,l 14 is. an:sectionaleview'w-taken Aalong pla-ne r 4-15-4 of Fig.f;3...,

Tl'iejaeket` structure indicated ini- Figxl is -fea-v tured by a body partBhaying a size adapted toV encircle the body of the wearer and to be secured zin position by securing means s which may be any one of the means :heretofore.emiiiloyed in the art such as snaps, buttons,-c1ips;.and.;zppers;;the said body part being heldor sustainedairr position; by shouldenaps C+Cl and :restrained '.againstff upward movementaby:crotchstrap;D;.whii:halsor.:L

, practice.

As constructed, the jacket is designed to cover k the chest, abdominal and gonadal regions of the wearer which arermost subject toinjury and damage by radiation to which the region is opaque or absorbent. Y

The constructionof the jacket to provide a structure and composition which is generally opaque and absorbent to that radiation which is absorbed by the covered region of the body :but

transparent to body radiation pas'sing'freely through the radiation will nowbe described.

In accordance with the present invenncn, the jacket is comprised of a plurality of layersof ma'-L terials a and b as indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

LayersV a., and a may consist of the same or of diierent woven fabric materials. Layers b and b consist of substantially the same materialand are comprised of a plurality of blocks of thematerial held in aligned position with the blocks of one ylayer oiset with respect to the other layer to coverthe interstices between the blocks in each layer. l

Each block of material in layers b--b' consists of plaster of Paris (CaSOi-ZHzO) containing a mixture of solidY phase inorganic Acompounds which in association or combination with the plaster of Paris is opaque to radiation having the same wave lengths that are absorbed with injurious results by the body tissues. The thickness of each lblock may be varied widely depending upon the'specic composition employed and the extent of radiation absorption desired for the block. Y

As an example, plaster of Paris alone has a high H degree of opaqueness to such harmful radiation and a block having a thickness of approximately one-half inch will reduce the intensity `of such harmful radiation lto about one-tenth the original intensity. Mineral'phosphates, such` as calcium phosphate, when incorporated in the plaster Aof Paris increase the absorption characteristics of,

the blockrmarkedly such that as the amount of the calcium phosphate increases, the thickness of the block may be materiallydecreased to `obtain equivalent opaqueness. g Y In the selection ofv materialsand thedesign of X-ray shadow given by bones and by pathological calculi containing calcium. Phosphorus also is a knownopaque orA absorptive element in X-ray lt is rknown,lfor example, thatiX-rays having a wave length of 1 angstrom unit are reduced in their intensity by more `than 20,000 times when passed through one-fourth ofA one centimeter of calcium. Analogously, the same result occurs in passing through onecentimeter of material consisting of one-fourth calcium. kThis may be recognized from the following equation:

=Ie"ux where l I :intensity of rays penetrating Io=initial intensity of the rays e=the natural number 2.7183 u=the :constant fraction for the absorber =the thickness of the absorber in cms'.

The element sulfur present in calcium sulfate likewise has a considerable power to absorb X-rays and the remainder of the compound which is chiey oxygen, is relatively absorbent although not efficient at wave lengths as short as 1 angstrom.

The absorption properties of calcium sulfate fall oil' as the Wave length of the radiation decreases and a wave length isreventually reached tantially pure calcium sulfate of suiicient thickness would -provide substantial protection against thatradiationV which is absorbed by the human body With injurious results. Substantial protection will be obtained with a thickness of about place of calcium phosphate but one should avoid i the incorporation of compounds containing lead or vthe heavy metals such as iron, nickel, cobalt, copper and the like. Aluminum and magnesium compounds, however, would be permissible as these do not scatter radiation or produce harmful secondary radiation as do lead Yandthe heavy Y metals. Accordingly Aa small percentage of .A1203 or MgO and up to 10% thereof also increases the j radiation 'absorption properties-of the calcium sulfate block within thewave length of radiation absorbed by the human body. j

In the nmanufacture of the plaster of Paris blocksb for use in the radiation protective jacket of the present invention, a plurality of practices may be followed. The blocks b may be formed or molded separately and toa precise or standard l size or relatively large sheets of the blocks may be formed at once on a flexible backing such as y cheesecloth, for easierrhandling or mounting in the jacket. ,Y

The jacketitself mayconsist of inner and outer fabric layers a and a." of weatherand wear resistant materials or waterproof materials as desired and as heretofore employed in the art, the present invention residing primarily in the radiation` absorbing filling between the inner and outer Walls of the jacket and in the design and y'construction of the jacketto provide for the shieldingof the vital organs ofthe wearerA from i that radiation normally absorbed with injurious results.

It is to be pointed out that the present invention does not contemplate or propose a shield effective to'protect the body from radiation ofV all Wave lengths. It proposes a radiation absorbing shield y.for that portion of the radiation to which the human body is opaque and absorbent with resultant harmful results. That radiation to which the human body is transparent or `substantially so requires greatV thicknesses of maby these organs terial to absorb which is impracticalto provide in a radiation protective jacket and in the present invention no interference with the passage of this radiation through the jacket or body is f desired or contemplated to avoid completely the production of harmful secondary radiation.

Having hereinabove described the present invention broadly and specifically and having il lustrated one specific embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, it is believed apparent that the same may be widely modified Without essential departure therefrom and all such modilcations thereof and departures therefrom are contemplated as may fall within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A radiation absorbent garment for protecting the body from radiation having a wavelength absorbed by the body, said garment having a size, shape and configuration adapting it to be disposed on the body and to enclose the body from the shoulders to the gonadal region and having inner and outer walls comprised of woven fabric and a non-rigid radiation absorbing shield disposed therebetween, said shield consisting of a plurality of pre-formed blocks sustained in aligned side relationship to each other, each said block having a thickness at least approximating one-half inch and consisting of a mixture of calcium sulfate and a ller material consisting of inorganic compounds increasing the opacity of the calcium sulfate to radiation having a wavelength absorbed by the body tissues without decreasing the transparency of the calcium sulfate to radiation not absorbed by the body tissues.

2. The garment of claim 1, said shield consist ing of calcium sulfate containing an inorganic filler consisting of at least one of the materials calcium phosphate, A1203 and MgO.

3. The garment of claim 1, each said block consisting of calcium sulfate containing from 20% to 40%, by Weight, calcium phosphate.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein said pre-formed block consists of plaster of Paris containing from 20% to 40% calcium phosphate.

5. The combination of claim l, wherein said pre-formed block consists of plaster of Paris containing from a small percentage up to 10% of one of the materials A1203 and MgO.

6. The combination of claim 1, wherein said pre-formed block consists of plaster of Paris containing from 20% to Ll0% calcium phosphate and from a small percentage up to 10% of one of the materials A1203 and MgO.

MARVIN WEINBERG.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,278,010 Poetschke Sept. 3, 1918 1,368,094 Angebaud Feb. 8, 1921 2,103,942 Gillin Dec. 28, 1937 2,387,597 McLachlan, Jr. Oct. 23, 1945 

